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Severe unrelenting brain fog and chronic fight/flight helped by Naproxen - why?

Fogbuster

Senior Member
Messages
269
Hey guys,

As the title suggests I'm getting some relief from taking two tablets of Naproxen in the morning. It just turns off what feels like inflammation and chronic sympathetic overload about 40%, which is obviously significant as only ketamine has had a similar effect.

I suffer with unrelenting severe brain fog, so bad that I don't have a stream of consciousness, i'm just blank 99.9% of the time. Naproxen seems to be bringing back a faint ability for me to see flashes of memories for a split second on the odd occasion. It's hard to conceptualise exactly what I mean, I don't see a video just a static very faint image for a split second.

Based of this response to this medication, does anyone else have any advice on what else I could take which could help? Something stronger perhaps? Many thanks
 

pattismith

Senior Member
Messages
3,931
wikipedia
"Naproxen works by reversibly inhibiting both the COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes as a non-selective coxib.[30][31][32][33][34] This results in the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. Prostaglandins act as signaling molecules in the body, inducing inflammation. Thus, by inhibiting COX-1/2, naproxen induces an anti-inflammatory effect."

Do you know if you have any similar effect with another NSAID?
 

Fogbuster

Senior Member
Messages
269
Do you know if you have any similar effect with another NSAID?

Thanks very much for your response Patti.

With regards to NSAIDS I've only tried Ibuprofen and the effect was minimal. Would the above suggest that I should look for a drug that strongly inhibits prostaglandins? Might this also suggest that mast cell activation issues are involved? Even if I've taken Naproxen I'll still get a worsening of symptoms (albeit less) if I consume say coffee with milk or anything which usually does give me an increase in sympathetic activation/ CNS inflammation feeling.
 

Fogbuster

Senior Member
Messages
269
When I have my swollen brain feeling, boswellia takes it down by about 40-60%.

Ken Lassesen on his website cfsremission.com says it is the "poor man's heparin" though so be careful if you are on other blood thinners.

He also says boswellia is neuroprotective.

Thanks for your response Judee.

What supplement brand and dose did you use? Was it an extract? I consumed a relatively high dose of Boswellia made by swanson a couple of years ago and it didn't do anything really, but it wasn't in extract form so I might consider getting the Now foods one.
 

pattismith

Senior Member
Messages
3,931
Thanks very much for your response Patti.

With regards to NSAIDS I've only tried Ibuprofen and the effect was minimal. Would the above suggest that I should look for a drug that strongly inhibits prostaglandins? Might this also suggest that mast cell activation issues are involved? Even if I've taken Naproxen I'll still get a worsening of symptoms (albeit less) if I consume say coffee with milk or anything which usually does give me an increase in sympathetic activation/ CNS inflammation feeling.
it would be interesting to investigate why you are doing well with Naproxen and why not with Ibuprofen, as they are both non selective cox inhibitors of the same NSAID family.

Personally I was doing well with Piroxicam, another non selective cox inhibitor (from another family), but my kidneys could not tolerate it.
 

WantedAlive

Senior Member
Messages
158
@Fogbuster I recommend you give Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone a try, here’s a link to a recent post I put up on this product, it has similar anti-inflammation targets as Naproxen. I’ve been impressed how much this improved brain fog, crystal-clear all day. There’s tips on dosing in the post, to avoid side effects. NSAID can be hard on your gut, this might give you some rotational options to alleviate problems. Please give feedback if you try, I’m keen to learn if it works as well for others as it did for me. Best of luck.
https://forums.phoenixrising.me/thr...euro-anti-inflammatory-and-pain-relief.83643/
 
Messages
18
Hello @Fogbuster

I hope your still having improvements from your terrible cognitive problems. I'm looking for a solution for someone with very similar issues. Do you mind me asking what dose of Naproxen you were taking? And if you're still using it?

Many thanks,
Eilidh
 

pattismith

Senior Member
Messages
3,931
It's important to understand how NSAIDS can help our mental health. For example I am rescued by Piroxicam and not by Aceclofenac.

Here an old paper on piroxicam and the effect on cytokines:

Modification of Cytokine Production by Piroxicam

ELLIOT D. ROSENSTEIN, JOLANTA KUNICKA, NEIL KRAMER, and GIDEON GOLDSTEIN

ABSTRACT.

Objective.
antiinflammatory drugs have been thought to act by inhibiting the enzyme, cyclooxygenase (prostaglandin H synthetase).
We sought to demonstrate additional biologic actions of this class of drugs including effects on cytokine production.

Methods.
We administered the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug piroxicam 20 mg to 6 healthy volunteers daily for 7 days.
Before and for one week after drug administration, concentrations of interleukin 1 (IL-I), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor ex(TNFex) and interferon-y (IFN--y), produced by anti-CD3 stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, were measured.

Results.
Piroxicam treatment resulted in elevation of levels of IL-2, depression of IL-I, IL-6, TNFex and IFN--y, and no consistent effect on IL-4.

Conclusion.
Piroxicam modulates production of various cytokines in a complex fashion when administered to healthy individuals.

https://www.researchgate.net/profil...ation-of-cytokine-production-by-piroxicam.pdf